Laundry apparatus



Nov. 19, 1957 E. K. CLARK LAUNDRY APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1953 INVENTOR EARL K.CLARK ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,813,415 LAUNDRY APPARATUS Earl KLCIark, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to -Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., 21 corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 20, 1953, Serial No. 387,108 3 Claims. (Cl.,68-- 24) This invention relates to a rotary cylindertype machine for washing fabrics and for subsequently centrifuging cleaning fluid therefrom and has for an object to provide improved apparatus of this kind.

A further object of the invention is to provide a relatively low cost, free standing, machine of the type set forth.

A relatively low cost free standing washing and spinning machine has been proposed in which the flexible supporting structure for the washing and spinning unit, .a.cost1y item, has been eliminated and the unit rigidly fixed to the housing or supporting base. This, of course, necessitates a slower centrifuging speed than that prevailing in flexibly supported machines with the result that extraction of water from the clothes is substantially reduced. In a combined machine for washing,,spiniiing and air drying of the clothes, to which my invention ,is particularly adaptable, this means that a longer drying period or more heat is required and, in a conventional washing and centrifuging machine, longer periods of drying in a separate dryer or on the line are necessary.

I have found that, in domestic washing and centrifuging machines of the type having a tumbling cylinder of the .so called horizontal axis type, an unbalance of the load in the cylinder will cause sliding or shifting of the machine upon the floor before tipping or lifting of the machine occurs. This condition prevails because the horizontal forces excited by the unbalance may be sufficient to slide .the machine upon an ordinary floor while .the vertical forces are insulficient to overcome the mass of the machine with the resultant tipping or lifting of the machine.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a low cost support for the washing and spinning unit capable of isolating to a degree the horizontal alternating forces but which does not materially affect the vertical forces. This support includes a fixed pin carried by the housing from which the washing and spinning unit is suspended in.

pendulum like fashion. The pin is elevated above the center of gravity of the unit and damping of the oscillat-ions of the unit may be provided preferably by a dry friction damping device. The oscillations of the unit about the pin are arcuate but mainly horizontal as the amplitude ,of vibration is so low that the vertical component of the arcuate movement is negligible. By suspending the washing and spinning unit as described, I have been able to increase the centrifuging speed over a construction wherein the unit is rigidly secured to its base. The speed is determined by the mass of the unit and the expected unbalance and may be set at a value just below that at which translation of the machine occurs. The isolation of the horizontal forces reduces the alternating forces applied to the base such that no sliding of the machine upon ordinary floors occurs. t

The foregoing and other objects are effected by the i1;- vention as will be apparent from the following descrip tion taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings, forming apart of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through a washing and centrifuging machine constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken along the line lI lI of Fig. l.

In the drawing, a clothes washing and centrifuging machine is disclosed having a cylindrical basket rotated about 2,813,415 Pa en ed N v.- .7

2 a generally horizontal axis at low speed for washing the clothes and at higher speed for spinning fluid therefrom. The machine disclosed carries out washing and spinning steps only but it will be understood that the invention may be applied equally well to machines for effecting other cycles such as, for example, one wherein the clothes are subjected to heated air after the spinning step for the complete drying of the clothes. In fact, the invention is particularly applicable to the latter program of steps as the final drying step by heated air is facilitated by the improved centrifuging aifo rded by the invention; However, for the sake of brevity and clearness, the in.- vention is disclosed applied to a machine wherein only centrifuging follows the washing step.

Referring now to the drawing, the machine disclosed includes a washing. and centrifuging unit, generally in-. dicated at 10 and arranged within a housing 11, the front wall of which includes an upper portion, shown at 12, inclined rearwardly and upwardly.j An access opening 13 is formed within the front wall portion 12 and is closed by a suitable door 14 hinged, as shown at 15, to the housing 11. i i

The washing and spinning unit 10 includes a tub 15 generally cylindrical inconfiguration and having an inclined chute 17 formed in the front wall thereof through which access is had to the interior of the tub. As described hereinafter, the washing and spinning unit 10 is movable relative the housing 11 and, therefore, a resilient tubular member 18 is connected at its ends to the wall 12 and the chute 17 peripherally of the openings therein. Arranged within the tub 16 is a generally cylindrical clothes basket 19 having a perforate side wall 21. The latter is perforate throughout substantially its extent, a few of the perforations being indicated at 22. The basket 19 is also provided with an access opening 23 the front side thereof in registry with the chute 17. A plurality of radially inwardly extending vanes 24 are disposed within the basket for the tumbling of the fabrics during a washing period, all of which is well understood. The basket 19 is driven at relatively low and high speeds for the washing and spinning of the fabrics by an electric motor indicated at 25 and secured in any suitable manner to the tub structure. The motor 25 is belted, as shown at 26, to the driving sheave 27 of an adjustable two-speed transmission, indicated generally at 28. The driven element of the transmission 28 is indicated at 29 connected to the basket for the support and rotation thereof. High and low speed "operation of the transmission 28 is provided by a solenoid 31. It will be assumed that when deenergized, the solenoid 31 provides for low speed operation of the basket and, when energized, provides for high speed operation. As the construction and operation of the adjustable solenoid operated two-speed mechanism shown at 28 are well understood in the art, no further description is deemed necessary. A suitable two-speed mechanism of the type shown at 28 is disclosed in the Patent No. 2,284,047 of H. E. Edwards,'granted May 26, 1942. As shown, the two-speed mechanism 23 is carried by the rear wall structure 32 of the tub 16.

Washing water is admitted to the tub 16 'and basket 19 in any suitable manner. As shown-an op ening'33 is provided in the tub atone side thereof through which the water is projected by a 'conduit34, the e nd of which terminates in spaced relation with the tub structure to provide an air gapyas shown in Fig. 2. 'It will be understood that the conduit 34 connects with a suitable water source under control of a valve (not shown).

Vitiatecl water is discharged from the tub by a pump indicated at 35, the inlet of which is connected to a sump 36 formedat the bottom of the tub lfi The waterdis:

charged by the pump 35 is conveyed by aflexible conduit or hose 37 to a suitable drain. The pump may be operated in any-suitable mannersuch' as, for example, by means of a small motor 38.. It will be understood from the description that the pump 35 is flooded at all times -thatwater is 're'tain'ed in the tub and that the water level in the discharge conduit 37 corresponds to the level of the water in the tub 16. 1 At this time, of course, the pump is idle. The water is discharged from the tubby energizing the pump motor 38. i v t In the operation of the machine as described up to the present, the fabricsbeingtreated are elevated by the to tated'vanes to an upper regionof the basket 19 and are dropped clear of and across the basket into the body of Washing fluid. This continued elevating and dropping of the fabrics in the fluid effectively removes the soil from the fabrics. Atthe' conclusion of the washing operation, the pump 35 is energized and the. body of washing fluid is discharged to drain At the conclusion of this operation, the solenoid-31 of the transmission is energized and the basket 19 is accelerated to its centrifuging speed. During acceleration, the fabrics stop tumbling within the basket gradually .and are'distributed in an annulus within the side wall 21-of thebasket. Since it is practically impossible to uniformly distribute the fabrics, an out of balance load results which excites vibrations in the suspended washing and spinning unit 10.

Whilevibrationsin all modes are excited in the suspended structure, the most serious vibrations are those acting generally horizontally in a direction normal to the axis of the basket It is these vibrations which tend to slide the cabinet upon the floor or foundation carrying the. washer. Verticalvibrations or alternate forces imparted to the housing tend to lift or tilt the housing upon the floor. I have found that, in free-standing apparatus ofv this general type, the operating speed is determined by the horizontal alternating forces rather than the vertical. Inother words, on most floors the machine will slide upon the floor before tipping occurs. The tipping of the machine is, of course, restrained by the mass of the machine.

In accordance with my invention, an improved pivotal support 41 for the suspendedunit is provided wherein the horizontal alternating forces excited in the unit are isolated from the housing 11 to an extentwithout materially affecting the vertical forces. As shown, the pivotal support includes a pair of pins 42 which are axially aligned and carried by a hanger plate 43, the latter being fixed to the upper portion of the housing 11 in any suitable manner. A pair of webs 44 and 45 are welded orotherwise secured to the tub 16 and are pivotally suspended by the pins 42. v From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the-unit 10 may swing generally horizontally within the housing but that there is practically no flexibility in vertical direction. The axis of the pins 42 is disposed above the center of gravity of the suspended unit, which is located approximately at the point A in Fig. 2. The amplitude of thevibrations of the suspended unit 10 may be dampened in any well known manner. As shown, a dry friction type of damper is indicated at 46. This damper includes a U-shaped spring 47, the .ends of which carry respective dampening shoes 48. The shoes 48 frictionally engage a damper plate 49 welded or otherwise secured to some portion of the suspended structure 10. As shown, the plate 49 is fixed to the bottom of the tub 16.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have provided a low cost free-standing washing and centrifuging machine wherein the washing and centrifuging unit is suspended in pendulum fashion from the housing for the isolation of generally horizontal vibrations excited in the unit. As set forth, itis these horizontal forces which limit the-speed of a free standing machine of this type so that, their isolation from the housing or base permits an increased centrifuging speedand, therefore, an increase iathe amwnt i flu d, extra ed rom t e fabrics;

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for cleaning fabrics and for subsequently centrifuging cleaning fluid therefrom, the combination of a tub for containing cleaning fluid, a perforate basket disposed within the tub for containing the fabrics, means carried by the tub for rotating the basket about a generally horizontal axis at relatively low and high speeds for respectively cleaning the fabrics and centrifuging cleaning fluid from the fabrics, means for admitting cleaning fluid to the tub, means for discharging vitiated fluid from thetub, said tub, basket and rotating means forming a unitary structure, a housing enclosing a unitary structure, and a pivot pin carried bythe housing and suspending said unitary structure from the housing; said pin lproviding for oscillating, pendulumlike movements of the unitary structure about the axis of the pin, said axis being substantially parallelto the axis of the basket and spaced vertically above the center of gravity of the unitary structure.

2. In apparatus for cleaning fabrics and for subsequently centrifuging cleaning fluid therefrom, the combination of a housing having an access opening in the front side thereof, a unit structure arranged within the housing and including a tub for containing washing water, a perforate basket for containing the fabrics to be treated and journalled in the tub for rotation about a generally horizontal axis and adjustable means for rotating the basket at relatively low and high speeds for respectively washing the fabrics and centrifuging water from the fabrics, means for admitting water to the tub, means for discharging vitiated water from the tub, said tub and basket having registering access openings adjacent the access opening of the housing, a flexible tubular wall connecting the housing and tub peripherally of the access openings thereof and permitting relative movement between the unitary structure and the housing, a pin carried by the housing and suspending the unitarystructure, said pin. having its axis spaced vertically above the center of gravity of the unitary structure and substantially parallel to the axis of the basket, the construc tion and arrangement being such that vertical vibrations of the unitary structure relative the housing are restricted by said pin while horizontal vibrations are afforded and means for damping vibrations of the unitary structure.

3. In apparatus for cleaning fabrics and forsubsequently centrifuging cleaning fluid therefrom, the combination of a tub for containing cleaning fluid, a perforate basket. disposedv within the tub for containingthe fabrics,means carried by the tub for supporting the basket for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, means for actuating the basket about said axis at relatively low frequency for cleaning the fabrics and for rotating the basket about the axis at relatively high frequency for centrifuging cleaning fluid from the fabrics, said tub and basket forming a unitary structure, a supporting frame for the unitary structure and a pivot pin carried by the frame and suspending said unitary structure fromthe frame; said pin providing for oscillating pendulum-like movements of the unitary structure about the axis of the pin, said pin being substantially parallel to'the axis of the basket and spaced vertically above the center of gravity of the unitary structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,296,257 Breckenridge Sept. 20, 1942 2,352,363 v.Bassett June 27, 1944 2,356,818 Bruckman Aug. 29, 1944 2,526,048 Russell Oct. 17, 1950 2,645,548 --Kreitchman et ah July 14, 1953 

